The Thoughtful Counselor

About
The Thoughtful Counselor is a podcast that is dedicated to producing great conversations around current topics in counseling and psychotherapy. We view counseling and psychotherapy as a deeply beautiful and complex process, and strive to incorporate both the art and science of the field in each episode.

A conversation with Dr. Amy Gaesser - Assistant Professor Counseling & Development at Purdue University in Indiana - on the effects of anxiety on school-aged youth and adolescents, finding the right balance between no stress and too much stress, and how to use EFT (emotional freedom techniques) to reduce student anxiety in school settings.

Dr. Gaesser is currently an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Development at Purdue University. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology: Counselor Education & Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut, her Masters in Counselor Education from SUNY Brockport, and her Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in Religious Studies from Nazareth College of Rochester. She is a certified New York State School Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor with 20+ years of experience in mental health and academia, specializing in school counseling interventions to assist students with a variety of academic, developmental, social, and emotional concerns. Her present research includes addressing the social and emotional well-being of students in school settings; the impact of anxiety on social, emotional, and cognitive functioning; and interventions to reduce anxiety in children and adolescents, including the efficacy of therapies incorporating acupoint stimulation, such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

A conversation with Dr. Barbara Herlihy, Professor Emerita at the University of New Orleans and Chair of the American Counseling Association's Ethics Committee on how things have changed in ethics and best practices in counseling over the past 30 years.

Barbara Herlihy, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is University Research Professor at the University of New Orleans. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and her M.Ed. in Counseling from Miami University. She has experience as a school counselor, community mental health counselor, and counselor in private practice. She is a board-approved counselor supervisor in Louisiana. Prior to coming to UNO, she served on the faculty at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Houston- Clear Lake, and Loyola University of New Orleans.

Dr. Herlihy’s research and teaching interests include ethical issues in counseling, multicultural counseling, feminist therapy, and supervision. Her most recent books are Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling (2nd ed. updated, 2007, with T. P. Remley), the ACA Ethical Standards Casebook (7th ed., 2006, with G. Corey), and Boundary Issues in Counseling (2nd. ed., 2006, with G. Corey). She is also the author or co-author of more than 65 journal articles and book chapters.

Dr. Herlihy has chaired the ACA Ethics Committee and has served on the ACA Ethics Code Revision Taskforce. She is a frequent presenter of seminars and workshops on ethics across the United States and internationally.

A conversation with Stacey Diane A. Litam on the reality and nature of human sex trafficking in the United States and what counselors need to know.

Stacey Diane A. Litam, M.A., LPC, NCC is a doctoral candidate in Kent State University’s Counselor Education and Supervision program and adjunct faculty at the Northeast Ohio Medical University. Stacey’s dissertation examines the influence of gender and discourse on counselors’ reported levels of empathy and acceptance of rape myths when counseling sex trafficked survivors. Stacey currently works as a licensed mental health counselor at a Northeast Ohio agency where she co-developed the Human Trafficking Docket with the Cleveland Municipal Court. Stacey currently provides counseling services for survivors of sex trafficking, persons with addictions, and LGBTQ clients. She is a researcher, educator, and social justice advocate for human trafficking, LGBTQ, and multicultural issues. Ms. Litam has facilitated over 30 state, regional, national, and international presentations on topics including human sex trafficking, integrating creativity with diverse populations, and the influence of internalized racism and intra-ethnic othering on Asian American adult identity development. In February 2016, Ms. Litam was a recipient of the Movers and Shakers Award from the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club, which honored 25 leaders in Northeast Ohio under the age of 30. Ms. Litam’s clinical work was featured in the December 2015 cover story of Counseling Today.

A conversation with Drs. Eric Beeson and Thom Field on integrating cutting-edge findings in neuroscience with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Eric Beeson is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in North Carolina and West Virginia, a national certified counselor (NCC) with the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), an approved clinical supervisor (ACS) with the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), and a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Beeson is a certified facilitator of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®) and SMART Recovery® groups. Additionally, Beeson is completing the requirements to become a certified HeartMath® practitioner with the HeartMath® Institute and to become board certified in neurofeedback with the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA). You can learn more about Eric at here.

Thom Field currently work as an Associate Program Director and Associate Professor at City University of Seattle in the Masters of Arts in Counseling program. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision from James Madison University. Thom is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Washington, and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Virginia. He is also a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) by the Center for Credentialing & Education. He has 10 years of clinical experience in outpatient private practice, inpatient psychiatric units, community mental health agencies, and school settings. You can learn more about Thom at his website - http://www.thomfield.com.

In this "recast" we revisit an earlier episode with Dr. Tom Hofmann about navigating strength-based approaches to counseling in an environment dominated by symptoms and diagnosis

Tom's bio:

In 2003, Dr. Thomas Hofmann joined the faculty at Hodges University, teaching in the areas of psychology and clinical mental health. As a full-time psychotherapist, he spent 15 years working in various settings, including inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol, and mental health. He also spent five years as an outpatient supervisor at a mental health clinic while teaching at Mount Mary College.

His areas of expertise include psychotherapy, family therapy, student projects, literature review and professional presentations. In an effort to practice his therapy skills, he works one day each week at a local employee assistance program as a Florida licensed social worker and licensed marriage and family therapist. In addition, he is an approved supervisor for mental health, social work and family therapy interns in Florida.

Due to his tremendous work and experience in the psychology and mental health field, Hofmann received the Hodges University Professor of the Year award in 2007, and in his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking and investing.